Neuroscientist Melanie Woodin named as University of Toronto's 17th president

Melanie Woodin is a neuroscientist and the university's current dean of the faculty of arts and sciences.

TORONTO — The University of Toronto’s first female president says she’s optimistic about the next five years, in spite of “looming existential crises” affecting higher education.

Melanie Woodin, a neuroscientist and the university’s current dean of the faculty of arts and sciences, was named the school’s 17th president by its governing council on Wednesday.

She will succeed current president Meric Gertler on July 1.

Woodin told a room full of council members Wednesday that she is “deeply honoured” to be chosen to lead the school into its third century.

“I ask you to join me in dreaming big,” she said.

“I recognize that I’m talking about leading with ambition at a time when the world is in turmoil, marked by deep division and political conflict and looming existential crises. At a time when academic freedom is under threat and at a time when funding for higher education is constrained.”

The challenges Woodin alluded to are present across the board at post-secondary institutions in Ontario.

The sector has argued that a domestic tuition freeze imposed by the provincial government in 2019 tempered its ability to boost revenue, as wages and costs skyrocketed along with inflation.

The federal government has also significantly lowered the cap on international student permits, and many institutions relied on the higher tuition fees paid by students from abroad to keep up with costs.

A trio of major organizations representing Ontario’s colleges, universities and business community wrote an open letter to the province last week saying investment in the post-secondary sector must be boosted.

The Ontario Chamber of Commerce, the Council of Ontario Universities and Colleges Ontario said the economic threat from the United States underscores the need for increased operating funding and more money to expand enrolment.

Last year, the provincial government announced $1.3 billion in additional funding over three years, but the sector has argued it’s not enough.

An expert panel commissioned by the government had recommended a one-time, 10-per-cent increase in per-student funding to colleges and universities followed by an inflationary increase, as well as a five per cent increase in tuition fees. That would have amounted to closer to $2.5 billion in ongoing base funding over three years.

The University of Toronto is reporting a relatively strong financial position compared with other schools, and the number of international students enrolled at the school has gone up — not down — since the federal government imposed its lower cap, according to figures provided by the university.

The U of T ran a $508-million operating surplus in 2024 with a revenue of $4.6 billion, a spokesperson said Wednesday.

It has consistently held its spot among the world’s top 25 universities, according to Times Higher Education rankings. It is in the 21st position this year.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 26, 2025.